Medical Garment

ABSTRACT

A medical garment is a shirt with a torso portion, sleeve portions, neck opening, waist opening, and cuffs for the sleeve. The shirt can be partially or fully opened along a medial-lateral slit and an inferior-superior slit. The medial-lateral slit forms a horizontal cut in the shirt, running from a first cuff to a second cuff. The inferior-superior slit forms a vertical cut in the shirt, running from the waist opening to the neck opening. Touch fasteners are placed on the shirt adjacent to the medial-lateral slit and the inferior-superior slit. The touch fasteners are engaged and disengaged from each other in order to change the shirt between an open configuration and closed configuration. To provide better patient privacy, a medial-lateral flap and an inferior-superior flap can be added. These flaps overlap with the shirt, covering any gaps between the touch fasteners that might otherwise be visible.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a garment for use in medical environments that can be partially or completely opened without being removed. The garment maintains patient dignity without impacting the ability of medical professionals to do their job.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Medical garments, such as those used in the health care industry, are available in a variety of constructions and designs. Many inventors have attempted to make improvements to the ubiquitous patient gown, whether to improve patient comfort, increase ease of access for a health care attendant, or both. Unfortunately, providing convenient access to a patient for a health care attendant often requires sacrifices to be made regarding patient comfort and privacy. As a result, attempts to increase patient comfort prove to be a hindrance to health care attendants, while attempts to facilitate health care attendant access provide minimal patient comfort and privacy. This inverse relationship also means that inventions which attempt to address both concerns fall short in adequately improving either.

The present invention seeks to address the concerns by providing a medical garment which can be partially or fully folded open. Touch fasteners provide a closed yet adjustable attachment between portions of the medical garment. Individual sections of the medical garment may be folded open (e.g. along an arm or along the torso) to provide access to a health care attendant without having to fully expose the patient. The improvements of the present invention are applicable to a variety of garments, some examples of which include shirts, hoodies, gowns, dresses, and even vests.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment in a partially opened configuration.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first embodiment in a fully opened configuration.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a right-side view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a left-side view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a top view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the second embodiment in the partially opened configuration.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the second embodiment in the partially opened configuration.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the second embodiment in the fully opened configuration.

FIG. 14 is a front view of the second embodiment in the fully opened configuration.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a hooded embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a front view of the hooded embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is an illustration showing the present invention as worn by a patient.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is a medical garment that does not need to be removed from a person to allow for providing medical care to a patient. The present invention thus allows a patient to maintain dignity while being attended to by health care professionals. The present invention allows said professionals to change dressings, manipulate needles, and perform a variety of other health care tasks. FIG. 1-FIG. 17 illustrate the two primary embodiments of the present invention in closed, partially open, and fully open configurations.

Briefly stated, the present invention is a shirt 1 that is divided into four quadrants by two cuts across the chest, one vertical and one horizontal. The vertical cut is on the front of the shirt 1, from the neck to the bottom similar to a button down shirt. The horizontal cut, also on the front, runs across the chest from sleeve cuff to sleeve cuff. Each quadrant can thus be individually lifted, while leaving the other quadrants in place, in order to provide medical access to a patient without having to completely remove the shirt 1.

The present invention provides a number of benefits as a result of its components and configuration. Advantages includes the ability to partially or completely open the shirt 1 if hot. Inversely, a user is able to partially or completely close the shirt 1 if cold. The present invention may also be donned or removed without interfering with medical tools such as intravenous lines and needles (IV's). Another benefit, as previously touched upon, is that health care professionals are granted access to specific areas without having to completely expose the patient. Fasteners of the present invention, as described later, can also be used as a form of cable management. The fasteners can be used to secure IV's to the shirt 1, as compared to having the IV's freely dangling where they can get caught on other items. An illustration showing an IV secured to a patient through use of the present invention is provided as FIG. 17.

The present invention is thus advantageous for patients undergoing various types of treatment, two examples being chemotherapy and infusion therapy. The adaptability of the present invention is also well suited to patients who have suffered head injuries and must wear a halo brace; normally the halo brace increases the difficulty of putting on and taking off clothing. With the present invention, however, a shirt 1 can be completely opened up and closed again around the neck area, overcoming the normally restrictive size of a halo brace.

Described in more detail, the present invention comprises a shirt 1 that covers a person's upper body, with access to a wearer being enabled or prevented by a first plurality of interconnecting fasteners 2 and a second plurality of interconnecting fasteners 3. The shirt 1 itself comprises a torso portion 4, a first sleeve 5, a second sleeve 6, a collar opening 7, a waist opening 8, a medial-lateral slit 9, and an inferior-superior slit 10. The first sleeve 5 comprises a first cuff 11 while the second sleeve 6 similarly comprises a second cuff 12. The medial-lateral slit 9 and the inferior-superior slit 10 respectively create horizontal and vertical breaks in the shirt 1, allowing portions of the shirt 1 to be folded open and closed. The portions of the shirt 1 are secured and detached to each other by the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners 2 and the second plurality of interconnecting fasteners 3. More specifically, the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners 2 is connected along the medial-lateral slit 9 in order to allow a top portion and bottom portion of the shirt 1 to attach and detach from each other. Similarly, the second plurality of interconnecting fasteners 3 is connected along the inferior-superior slit 10 in order to allow a left portion and right portion of the shirt 1 to attach and detach from each other.

Essentially, the medial-lateral slit 9 and inferior-superior slit 10 allow the shirt 1 to act as a frock when opened, with a front panel and a back panel. The interconnecting fasteners are preferably touch fasteners. Touch fasteners are known by other names, including hook-and-loop fasteners and (most ubiquitous) by the trademarked name of Velcro. While other types of interconnecting fasteners are possible, touch fasteners offer several advantages. For example, while snap fasteners could be used in place of touch fasteners, snap fasteners do not completely cover the openings of the present invention (i.e. the medial-lateral slit 9 and the inferior-superior slit 10). Compared to touch fasteners, snap fasteners do not provide a patient with maximum privacy. The two slits are depicted in FIG. 1-FIG. 5 and FIG. 11-FIG. 17.

Touch fasteners are also desirable as they allow for the portions of the shirt 1 to be completely opened or closed from each other. Other fasteners, such as zippers, are not fully removable. This prevents health care professionals from fully opening portions of the shirt 1 as is possible with touch fasteners.

As it is preferable to provide access to a person's arms, the medial-lateral slit 9 originates at one sleeve cuts completely across the shirt 1, terminating at the opposite sleeve. In terms of the present invention, the medial-lateral slit 9 traverses along the first sleeve 5, across the torso portion 4, and along the second sleeve 6 from the first cuff 11 to the second cuff 12. Resultantly, the first sleeve 5, second sleeve 6, and torso portion 4 can be rotated about a horizontal axis. A health care attendant is thus able to gain access to the arms and thorax (chest) of a person without having to first remove the shirt 1 from the person.

The inferior-superior slit 10, which allows for improved access to the torso area of a person, originates at the waist opening 8, travels along the torso portion 4, and terminates at the collar opening 7. In terms of the present invention, the inferior-superior slit 10 traverses along across the torso portion 4 from the waist opening 8 to the collar opening 7. This placement allows the torso portion 4 to be folded open about a vertical axis, providing a health care attendant with unimpeded access to the chest and abdomen of a patient.

Preferably, the medial-lateral slit 9 is bisected at a ninety degree angle by the inferior-superior slit 10, such that the medial-lateral slit 9 and inferior-superior slit 10 are perpendicular to each other. This provides complete frontal access to the torso of a person wearing the shirt 1, as the shirt 1 can be folded open at the medial-lateral slit 9 and inferior-superior slit 10 to fully expose the arms, torso, and abdomen. As the two slits effectively create four quadrants of the shirt 1, a health care attendant has the ability to leave one or more of the quadrants closed in the interest of patient comfort and privacy. For example, if working with needles placed in the patient's arms, a left quadrant and right quadrant of the shirt 1 may remain attached to each other across the inferior-superior slit 10. The keeps the abdomen completely covered, even when the shirt 1 is folded open about the medial-lateral slit 9 in order to expose the arms. The medial-lateral slit 9 and inferior-superior slit 10 are illustrated as part of a first embodiment (FIG. 1-FIG. 3) and a second embodiment (FIG. 4-FIG. 17).

In one embodiment, the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners 2 comprises a first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and a second plurality of touch fasteners 14. The first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and the second plurality of touch fasteners 14 are positioned along either side of the medial-lateral slit 9. More specifically, the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 is connected along the shirt 1 adjacent to the medial-lateral slit 9, just as the second plurality of touch fasteners 14 is connected along the shirt 1 adjacent to the medial-lateral slit 9. The positioning of the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and second plurality of touch fasteners 14 is opposite each other across the medial-later slit. This allows the shirt 1 to be opened or closed about the medial-lateral slit 9 by attaching or detaching the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 from the second plurality of touch fasteners 14. To make attaching and detaching of the touch fasteners easier, the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 is positioned on an exterior surface 15 of the shirt 1 while the second plurality of touch fasteners 14 is positioned on an interior surface 16 of the shirt 1.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a medial-lateral flap 17 is hingedly connected to the shirt 1. This medial-lateral flap 17 creates improved coverage over the medial-lateral slit 9 when the present invention is in a closed configuration. The medial-lateral flap 17 is thus positioned adjacent to and along the medial-lateral slit 9. The first plurality of touch fasteners 13, as with the previously described embodiment, are connected along the shirt 1 adjacent to the medial-lateral slit 9. The medial-lateral slit 9 is positioned opposite the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 across the medial-lateral slit 9, allowing the medial-lateral slit 9 to overlap the shirt 1 and first plurality of touch fasteners 13 when folded down towards a closed position. The second plurality of touch fasteners 14 are adjacently connected to the medial-lateral flap 17. This is in contrast to the previously described embodiment where the second plurality of touch fasteners 14 are instead connected along the shirt 1. An embodiment with the medial-lateral flap 17 is illustrated via FIG. 4-FIG. 17.

The first plurality of touch fasteners 13, in this embodiment, are positioned on an exterior surface 15 of the shirt 1. In order to allow for optimal attaching and detaching of the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and the second plurality of touch fasteners 14, the second plurality of touch fasteners 14 is positioned on a first surface 18 of the medial-lateral flap 17, wherein the first surface 18 is defined as being adjacent to the medial-lateral slit 9. As previously mentioned, this positioning allows for attachment of each plurality of touch fasteners when the medial-later flap is folded down to a closed position.

The second plurality of interconnecting fasteners 3, paralleling the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners 2, comprise a first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and a second plurality of touch fasteners 14. The first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and second plurality of touch fasteners 14 for the second plurality of interconnecting fasteners 3 are connected to the shirt 1 along the inferior-superior slit 10. The first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and second plurality of touch fasteners 14 are connected opposite each other across the inferior-superior slit 10. The first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and second plurality of touch fastener are thus capable of closing and opening the shirt 1 about the inferior-superior slit 10 by attaching and detaching the touch fasteners from each other. To provide for user-friendly operation, the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 are positioned on an exterior surface 15 of the shirt 1 while the second plurality of touch fasteners 14 are positioned on an interior surface 16 of the shirt 1.

Similar to the medial-lateral slit 9 and corresponding first plurality of interconnecting fasteners 2, a second embodiment is provided for the inferior-superior slit 10 and corresponding second plurality of interconnecting fasteners 3. In this embodiment, the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 of the second plurality of interconnecting fasteners 3 is connected along the shirt 1 adjacent to the inferior-superior slit 10. The second plurality of touch fasteners 14, rather than being connected to the shirt 1, are adjacently connected to an inferior-superior flap 19. The inferior-superior flap 19 itself is hingedly connected to the shirt 1, positioned adjacent to and along the inferior-superior slit 10. To allow for the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and the second plurality of touch fasteners 14 to close or open the shirt 1 by attaching and detaching from each other, the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and the inferior-superior flap 19 are positioned opposite each other across the inferior-superior slit 10. The embodiment with this inferior-superior flap 19 is illustrated via FIG. 4-FIG. 17.

Further defining the embodiment with the inferior-superior flap 19, the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 are positioned on an exterior surface 15 of the shirt 1. The second plurality of touch fasteners 14 are positioned on a first surface 18 of the inferior-superior flap 19, with the first surface 18 being defined as adjacently positioned to the inferior-superior slit 10. This positioning allows the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and second plurality of touch fasteners 14 to attach to each other and seal the inferior-superior slit 10 when the inferior-superior flap 19 is closed over the inferior-superior slit 10.

Reiterating the above, the medial-lateral slit 9 and the inferior-superior slit 10 can be opened and closed by detaching and attaching their respective interconnecting fasteners. The shirt 1 does not need to be removed from the patient during this process, helping to make the patient feel more comfortable and less exposed, maintaining their sense of dignity.

To further aid with a patient's sense of dignity, segments of the plurality of first interconnecting fasteners 2 and plurality of second interconnecting fasteners 3 can remain attached to each other in order to provide the sensation that the patient is still wearing a garment. For example, even when the shirt 1 is opened along the medial-lateral slit 9, the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and the second plurality of touch fasteners 14 which are positioned adjacent to the first cuff 11 and the second cuff 12 can remain attached to each other. Thus, even while the patient's chest is exposed through the open medial-lateral slit 9, the secured first cuff 11 and second cuff 12 maintain the sensation of wearing a garment (as opposed to being completely naked or similarly exposed).

The inferior-superior slit 10, similarly, can be configured to be partially attached next to the waist opening 8, collar opening 7, or even both. In this way, a medical attendant can still access the chest or abdomen of a patient without having to completely undo the touch fasteners of the inferior-superior slit 10.

The first plurality of interconnecting fasteners 2 and second plurality of interconnecting fasteners 3 provide an additional benefit beyond allowing the shirt 1 to be opened and closed. More specifically, each plurality of interconnecting fasteners can be attached in a tight manner or a loose manner, changing the effective size of the shirt 1. This allows the present invention to grow or shrink in size along with a patient. The ability to adapt to changing patient sizes is beneficial as patients will often lose weight, gain weight, or both during the course of treatment.

As the first plurality of touch fasteners 13 and the second plurality of touch fasteners 14 are of the hook-and-loop type in the preferred embodiment, the fasteners can be used to secure medical apparatuses to the shirt 1 as necessary. For example, during blood donations the needle can be secured to the first cuff 11 or the second cuff 12 via the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners 2, helping to keep the needle in a stable position. This is in contrast to current methods which often use tape or other adhesives to hold the needle in place; though perfectly acceptable such means can prove uncomfortable for the donor when removed, especially for those with especially hairy limbs.

The medial-lateral flap 17 and the inferior-superior flap 19, as mentioned, help to improve patient privacy by overlapping the shirt 1. This negates any gaps along the medial-lateral slit 9 and inferior-superior slit 10 that might otherwise occur without the use of the corresponding flaps. The inclusion of the medial-lateral flap 17 and the inferior-superior flap 19 thus enhances a basic embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to being implemented as a shirt 1. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, a hood 20 is integrated into the construction of the shirt 1. The resulting garment is commonly called a hoodie. In this embodiment, the hood 20 is joined to the shirt 1 at the collar opening 7. The hood 20 is adjacent to the collar opening 7 and can be folded up and down, such that it covers a person's head or does not cover a person's head. This embodiment is illustrated via FIG. 15 and FIG. 16.

Also possible, in one embodiment, is the addition of a pocket 21. The pocket 21 is preferably oriented sideways, being connected around the shirt 1 perpendicular inferior-superior slit 10. Ultimately, the orientation and positioning of the pocket 21 is variable; the pocket 21 itself does not detract from the scope of the present invention.

Other additions and substitutions, such as related to garment accessories or fasteners, can be implanted to the present invention per the desires of manufacturers. Though the present invention has been described as a shirt 1, the present invention can be applied to similar clothing such as hoodies, gowns, dresses, and more.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A medical garment comprises: a shirt; a first plurality of interconnecting fasteners; a second plurality of interconnecting fasteners; the shirt comprises a torso portion, a first sleeve, a second sleeve, a collar opening, a waist opening, a medial-lateral slit, and an inferior-superior slit; the first sleeve comprises a first cuff; the second sleeve comprises a second cuff; the first cuff being positioned opposite the torso portion along the first sleeve; the second cuff being positioned opposite the torso portion along the second sleeve; the medial-lateral slit traversing along the first sleeve, across the torso portion, and along the second sleeve from the first cuff to the second cuff; the inferior-superior slit traversing along across the torso portion from the waist opening to the collar opening; the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners being positioned adjacent to and along the medial-lateral slit; the second plurality of interconnecting fasteners being positioned adjacent to and along the inferior-superior slit; and the medial-lateral slit being intersected by the inferior-superior slit.
 2. The medical garment as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners comprises a first plurality of touch fasteners and a second plurality of touch fasteners; the first plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt adjacent to the medial-lateral slit; the second plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt adjacent to the medial-lateral slit; and the first plurality of touch fasteners and the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned opposite each other across the medial-lateral slit.
 3. The medical garment as claimed in claim 2 comprises: the first plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an exterior surface of the shirt; and the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an interior surface of the shirt.
 4. The medical garment as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners comprises a first plurality of touch fasteners and a second plurality of touch fasteners; a medial-lateral flap; the medial-lateral flap being hingedly connected to the shirt; the medial-lateral flap being positioned adjacent to and along the medial-lateral slit; the first plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt adjacent to the medial-lateral slit; the second plurality of touch fasteners being adjacently connected to the medial-lateral flap; and the first plurality of touch fasteners and the medial-lateral flap being positioned opposite each other across the medial-lateral slit.
 5. The medical garment as claimed in claim 4 comprises: the first plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an exterior surface of the shirt; the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on a first surface of the medial-lateral flap; and the first surface being adjacent to the medial-lateral slit.
 6. The medical garment as claimed in claim 5 comprises: the medial-lateral flap being split by the inferior-superior slit.
 7. The medical garment as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the second plurality of interconnecting fasteners comprises a first plurality of touch fasteners and a second plurality of touch fasteners; the first plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt adjacent to the inferior-superior slit; the second plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt adjacent to the inferior-superior slit; and the first plurality of touch fasteners and the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned opposite each other across the inferior-superior slit.
 8. The medical garment as claimed in claim 7 comprises: the first plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an exterior surface of the shirt; and the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an interior surface of the shirt.
 9. The medical garment as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the second plurality of interconnecting fasteners comprises a first plurality of touch fasteners and a second plurality of touch fasteners; an inferior-superior flap; the inferior-superior flap being hingedly connected to the shirt; the inferior-superior flap being positioned adjacent to and along the inferior-superior slit; the first plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt; the second plurality of touch fasteners being adjacently connected to the inferior-superior flap; and the first plurality of touch fasteners and the inferior-superior flap being positioned opposite each other across the inferior-superior slit.
 10. The medical garment as claimed in claim 9 comprises: the first plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an exterior surface of the shirt; the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on a first surface of the inferior-superior flap; and the first surface being positioned adjacent to the inferior-superior slit.
 11. The medical garment as claimed in claim 10 comprises: the inferior-superior flap being split by the medial-lateral slit.
 12. The medical garment as claimed in claim 1 comprises: a hood; the hood being positioned adjacent to the collar opening; and a neck edge of the hood being hingedly and adjacently connected to the shirt.
 13. The medical garment as claimed in claim 1 comprises: a pocket; the pocket being connected around the shirt perpendicular to the inferior-superior slit; and the pocket being positioned adjacent to the inferior-superior slit.
 14. A medical garment comprises: a shirt; a first plurality of interconnecting fasteners; a second plurality of interconnecting fasteners; the shirt comprises a torso portion, a first sleeve, a second sleeve, a collar opening, a waist opening, a medial-lateral slit, and an inferior-superior slit; a medial-lateral flap; an inferior-superior flap; the first sleeve comprises a first cuff; the second sleeve comprises a second cuff; the first cuff being positioned opposite the torso portion along the first sleeve; the second cuff being positioned opposite the torso portion along the second sleeve; the medial-lateral slit traversing along the first sleeve, across the torso portion, and along the second sleeve from the first cuff to the second cuff; the inferior-superior slit traversing along across the torso portion from the waist opening to the collar opening; the medial-lateral flap being split by the inferior-superior slit; the inferior-superior flap being split by the medial-lateral slit; the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners being positioned adjacent to and along the medial-lateral slit; the second plurality of interconnecting fasteners being positioned adjacent to and along the inferior-superior slit; the medial-lateral slit being intersected by the inferior-superior slit; the medial-lateral flap being hingedly connected to the shirt; the medial-lateral flap being positioned adjacent to and along the medial-lateral slit; the inferior-superior flap being hingedly connected to the shirt; and the inferior-superior flap being positioned adjacent to and along the inferior-superior slit.
 15. The medical garment as claimed in claim 14 comprises: the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners comprises a first plurality of touch fasteners and a second plurality of touch fasteners; the first plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt adjacent to the medial-lateral slit; the second plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt adjacent to the medial-lateral slit; the first plurality of touch fasteners and the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned opposite each other across the medial-lateral slit; the first plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an exterior surface of the shirt; and the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an interior surface of the shirt.
 16. The medical garment as claimed in claim 14 comprises: the first plurality of interconnecting fasteners comprises a first plurality of touch fasteners and a second plurality of touch fasteners; the first plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt adjacent to the medial-lateral slit; the second plurality of touch fasteners being adjacently connected to the medial-lateral flap; the first plurality of touch fasteners and the medial-lateral flap being positioned opposite each other across the medial-lateral slit; the first plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an exterior surface of the shirt; the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on a first surface of the medial-lateral flap; and the first surface being adjacent to the medial-lateral slit.
 17. The medical garment as claimed in claim 14 comprises: the second plurality of interconnecting fasteners comprises a first plurality of touch fasteners and a second plurality of touch fasteners; the first plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt adjacent to the inferior-superior slit; the second plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt adjacent to the inferior-superior slit; the first plurality of touch fasteners and the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned opposite each other across the inferior-superior slit; the first plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an exterior surface of the shirt; and the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an interior surface of the shirt.
 18. The medical garment as claimed in claim 14 comprises: the second plurality of interconnecting fasteners comprises a first plurality of touch fasteners and a second plurality of touch fasteners; the first plurality of touch fasteners being connected along the shirt; the second plurality of touch fasteners being adjacently connected to the inferior-superior flap; the first plurality of touch fasteners and the inferior-superior flap being positioned opposite each other across the inferior-superior slit; the first plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on an exterior surface of the shirt; the second plurality of touch fasteners being positioned on a first surface of the inferior-superior flap; and the first surface being positioned adjacent to the inferior-superior slit.
 19. The medical garment as claimed in claim 14 comprises: a hood; the hood being positioned adjacent to the collar opening; and a neck edge of the hood being hingedly and adjacently connected to the shirt.
 20. The medical garment as claimed in claim 14 comprises: a pocket; the pocket being connected around the shirt perpendicular to the inferior-superior slit; and the pocket being positioned adjacent to the inferior-superior slit. 